Party of One

My husband travels a lot.  Like every week a lot.  I'm not complaining (anymore, but oh dear lord when the boys were younger did I ever complain.  Try solo parenting two sick 2-year olds for five days in a frozen February and get back to me). Anyway, he's a consultant; it's not like he's fighting a war or anything.

Where his travels now hurt me most are in my diet, specifically dinner.  I've polished off a pot of mac-n-cheese over the sink more times than I'd care to admit.  Popcorn after the boys are asleep?  Also dinner.  It's gross.  So my Lenten promise from this lapsing Catholic was to eat dinner like a grown-up.  With vegetables and everything.

So I bought a big fillet o'salmon and cut it into about 4 oz. (deck of cards) portions.  I pop one out of the freezer in the morning and then feel like I must make a decent dinner for myself.  Strategery.

The next dilemma was how to cook that itty bitty piece of salmon.  Then this little gadget came in very handy.

 Microwave egg baker, repurposed for fish.

Now, I'm not big on kitchen gadgets.  Eons ago I registered for my wedding and I apparently went into Williams-Sonoma and said, "One of everything, please."  One of the more ridiculous things I registered for, and received, was an apparatus called an herb mincer.  It was like a series of little pizza cutters adjoined to a big handle.  The second time I tried to use it my Mr. T. voice came to me and said, "I pity the fool who uses an herb mincer, that shit's called a KNIFE."  And I thought, "Mr. T. voice, you are so right."  And out went that herb mincer.  Along with the fish poacher, which we used once in Chicago to keep brats warm on the grill.  Apologies to the kind souls who gave us those awesome and much appreciated gifts.  

Anyway, the microwave egg baker is not a worthless gadget.  I'd had marginal success microwaving eggs in a pyrex dish coated with cooking spray and covered, but sometimes the cover blew off and my microwave ended up looking like a communal microwave.  And don't get me started on communal microwaves.  Gah-ross.  

Post cookin'

Salmon, in a microwave egg cooker, takes 50 seconds to cook plus another minute to rest and it it awesome.  Every. Single. Time.  A little squeeze of lemon and lemon pepper (which is mostly salt, which is why I love it so much) and you're good to go.  And no house fish smell, as a bonus.  

Salmon, Avocado, Red Onion and Toasted Walnut salad.  Adults only.  

This is my go-to dressing. 

These are Hyacinth and Daffodils from my yard.  The end.